DotDan wrote:Something I would like to try and find out is what Nightjar is the most common around Southern Kruger? Just out of curiosity. My bet would probably be Sqaure Tailed? I have seen them up in Punda, Satara and now all over LS. So if that is the case, then just like the African Pipit, one should probably have that mentality of "Why is it not a Square Tailed"

I would suggest that the more common Nightjar in southern Kruger is Fiery-necked while in northern Kruger the Square-tailed reigns supreme. Of course this is just from my personal experience but, as it happens, I've found myself on a variety of night drives in various parts of Kruger in recent times.

Recently (WRHR birding weekend) at Biyamithi, during the three night drives with four vehicles each going their own routes, we recorded a fair number of Fiery-necked Nightjars but only one vehicle recorded one Square-tailed on one of the three night drives. I personally didn't see any Square-tails over the entire weekend.

Three weeks later we were in the Berg-en-Dal area and did two night drives on two consecutive nights. Again, the majority of Nightjars recorded were Fiery-necked with only three sightings of Square-tail and one sighting of Freckled.

In northern Kruger of course, Rufous-cheeked gets added to the mix although they are few and far between compared to Square-tailed and Fiery-necked. Oh and of course that pesky Pennant-winged Nightjar that keeps coming in the way However, my recollection is that on night drives from Pafuri, Punda, Shingwedzi, Satara and Letaba, the dominant species was Square-tailed.

"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel." -Homer Simpson

Deefstes,Sorry but maybe I have it all wrong, but I thought the bottomline spots is on the secondaries? Will you call that then rather the greater wingcoverts? On what is the top row above them then on?

The lines that I pointed out was spesifically to ID Square-tailed. All three lines are very obvious and bold in STNJ. All my STNJ pics that I've ever taken show these 3 lines very clearly and it was just on my own experience that I showed it to DD, but I consider all three together..

When I look at a nightjar I don't just consider these lines to make an ID, I take an overall view of it, like the Fiery-necked you have other features to distingish it from ST as the rufous lores, cheeks and the rufous that stretches down to the breast then the lines don't even matter...and with Rufous-cheeked the bird is normally an overall greyish bird with the spots here and there on the wings and fine black streaking on the grey....etc.

DD, did you have your bins on the birds and were the spotlight on the birds when they flew off? Just asking...

Dabchick wrote:...but because I can't ID night jars (except for european perching on a branch )...

Careful Dabchick, while the habit of European Nightjars perching lengthwise on branches are often cited, it's by no means diagnostic. I've seen Fiery-necks and Square-tails doing that as well (and I have no reason to believe that Rufous-cheeked won't also) and I've also seen Europeans sitting on the road just like you'd expect to see others.

okay, now it's official - I know zilch about id-ing night jars ... I'll watch the discussion here between the experts with great interest....

Lizet Grobbelaar wrote:but I thought the bottomline spots is on the secondaries? Will you call that then rather the greater wingcoverts? On what is the top row above them then on?

I'll be the first to admit that bird anatomy never makes as much sense to me when I see a real bird as compared to a drawing. I would have thought the feathers on which the top row of spots are would be the 'median coverts'. But as I said, I might have it all wrong.

Lizet Grobbelaar wrote:The lines that I pointed out was spesifically to ID Square-tailed. All three lines are very obvious and bold in STNJ. All my STNJ pics that I've ever taken show these 3 lines very clearly and it was just on my own experience that I showed it to DD, but I consider all three together..

Fair enough. Let me just reiterate that I'm not challenging your identification, I merely want to make sure I understand how you arrive at it so that I can use it next time round.

I'd have to be honest that I've never really had to bother to understand the wing spots of STNJ seeing as the white outer tail feathers and trailing edge to the wing in flight is pretty much a dead giveaway. And if they weren't flying they soon would

"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel." -Homer Simpson

Deefstes,I had a proper look at the layout in "Nocturnal Birds" and you are in fact right about the wing coverts. The secondaries are another row down as shown here on this Square-tailed but when visible it shows this pale line...

Lizet Grobbelaar wrote:Deefstes,I had a proper look at the layout in "Nocturnal Birds" and you are in fact right about the wing coverts. The secondaries are another row down as shown here on this Square-tailed but when visible it shows this pale line...

Female Square-tailed Nightjar.

Thanks Lizet, nice to be able to put that question to bed. And yes, that is a lovely picture.

"Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel." -Homer Simpson